The American Veterinary Medical Association Council on Education has accredited the St. George’s University Doctor of Veterinary Medicine programme for the next seven years.

The American Veterinary Medical Association Council on Education (AVMA COE) has announced that it has accredited the St. George’s University Doctor of Veterinary Medicine programme for the next seven years.

St. George’s University is a centre of international education, drawing students and faculty from 140 countries to the island of Grenada, in the West Indies.This accreditation follows a self study by the School of Veterinary Medicine, and a site visit by a team of AVMA appointed reviewers in April 2011.

The AVMA team conducted a comprehensive review of the DVM programme curriculum, physical facilities, equipment, clinical resources, and library and information resources as part of its assessment of the programme’s readiness for accreditation.

Admissions policies, faculty qualifications, and the number and quality of professional degree students in the programme were also assessed.

According to the AVMA, accreditation by the AVMA COE represents the highest standard of achievement for veterinary medical education in the United States. Students graduating from an AVMA COE-accredited institution can be assured the education they receive meets a “competency threshold for entry into practice, including eligibility for professional licensure”.

Thirty-five St George’s graduates have passed into the UK’s Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons since the school’s inception. Earlier this year SGU students achieved an impressive 100% pass rate on the RCVS’ statutory membership examination, compared with an overall 44% rate for candidates.